New Delhi: Imagine a person suffering from a terminal disease who knows his days are numbered and time on planet Earth fixed.
Melbourne resident Emily Lahey is battling NUT carcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer with a prognosis of six to nine months.
But unlike many in her state waiting for death, the 32-year-old clearly believes that time is meant for living in the present.
Emily has decided to auction parts of her remaining time to strangers in Sydney as part of a performance art piece called ‘Time to Live’.
During this event, organised over the weekend, a large projection counts down from three minutes, illustrating the fleeting nature of their time together.
This unique experience draws attention to the emotional and psychological burdens of living with a terminal illness or supporting someone who does. It also highlights the need for continued cancer research.
Emily’s health was perfectly fine five years ago, before her diagnosis, as she ran 5 to 10 kilometres daily.
“I never thought cancer was a possibility,” she told 7NEWS.com.au.
Standard treatments like chemotherapy don’t work with this rare form of cancer, hence her medical team was uncertain about how to handle her condition.
Genetic testing led to an experimental treatment called BET inhibitors to be considered, but she had to wait until her condition worsened enough to qualify for the government’s special access programme.
“This has given me extra time that I never thought I’d have, and my family and I are very thankful for that,” Emily said.
How much time exactly Emily has in this world, the doctors haven’t told her, but she embraces each day with gratitude.
“Everything comes and goes in waves. It’s like being on a constant rollercoaster. There were times I struggled to look beyond the next day or week. As time goes on, I’m gaining a bit more confidence to look towards the end of the year,” Emily confessed.
One can’t but marvel at her spirit, and wish she lives many more months.. and years.
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